Even Matt Eberflus Couldn’t Hide His Excitement About Austin Booker
The Chicago Bears have insisted they don’t feel an overwhelming need to find pass rush help. GM Ryan Poles said they like some of the guys they already brought in. Chief among them is 5th round pick Austin Booker. He became only the second player the Bears GM has traded up for in a draft since taking over in 2022. The first was Tyrique Stevenson, and we’re seeing how well that is working out. So it was a good sign the team saw something with Booker. His first preseason action reinforced this. While he didn’t register a sack, the rookie came a breath away from one and beat his blocker multiple times. Even head coach Matt Eberflus took notice of the performance.
He indicated there was excitement both about Booker’s effort and his natural instincts for rushing the passer.
You know when Eberflus shows his version of excitement, it’s a good sign. Houston did everything they could to slow down the Bears’ rush. They ran a lot of quick passes early on. However, Booker started to generate heat towards the end of the first half. What stood out wasn’t necessarily his quickness but his power. There were multiple instances where he literally threw the blocker out of his way.
Matt Eberflus knows what Booker can become.
Keep in mind three things about the rookie defensive end. He only has one year of starting experience in college—that was his final one with Kansas. Next, he is listed at 240 lbs. That is light for a 4-3 end, meaning he will likely add 10-15 pounds of mass to his frame. If he’s strong now, imagine what he’ll become when that happens. Finally, as Eberflus mentioned, he never played that position before. It is different from the one Booker played in college. There is always an adjustment period with such things.
It’s a great sign that all of that is true, and he still made an immediate impact. Whether the Bears see him as enough by himself to handle the rotational pass rusher role remains to be seen. Head coach Matt Eberflus hasn’t given anything away on that front. He and Poles remain consistently on message about the situation. Yannick Ngakoue is still available. Maybe the team pivots at some point. Until then, it feels like Booker will have a key role in their defensive line this year.